The elegant portable net works with any table and doubles as a protective mat for pots and pans

It's an exciting week for tennis fans as the 2014 US Open kicked off on Monday, but there's equally good news for table tennis fans as well—thanks to RCA alum and product designer Julian Bond. Not only can ping pong tables be expensive, they take up a great deal of room: not an ideal situation especially for those living in cramped apartments. (Though, there's always SPiN for those in NYC). As a fun solution, Bond developed CorkNet, a portable ping pong net made solely from recycled cork, so your dining room table—or any table or desk for that matter—can host some informal matches.

Portable nets often call for skewers or clamps, but—as Bond points out—they look awkward and only serve one purpose. In comparison to these plastic alternatives, CorkNet is elegant and meant to live in the kitchen, not hidden away in a junk drawer until needed, as it also serves as a protective mat for hot pans. Perhaps consider taking this to your friend's house in lieu of a bottle of wine at the next dinner party.